Historic royal monument 'eroding' because of tourist deluge

A historic stone monument commissioned by Queen Victoria is in need of "major repairs" after "severe erosion" caused by tourist footfall. The 11-metre-high pyramid was built to memorialise Prince Albert after his death in 1861 and has since attracted an estimated 70,000 visitors annually. A spokesperson for Balmoral Castle, the Royal Family's Scottish estate where the pyramid lies, said the ground surrounding it had become "severely eroded".

Prince Albert's Pyramid makes up part of a popular walking route across the 50,000-acre castle grounds and is the largest of several cairns built to commemorate royal deaths and marriages. "Due to an increase in visitors to Prince Albert's Pyramid, the ground surrounding the cairn has become severely eroded and the cairn undermined," the spokesperson said. "To remedy this, we are undertaking a major repair and restoration project on the ground immediately surrounding the cairn."

They said the restoration project will aim to "stabilise the structure of the pyramid for future generations to enjoy".

The pyramid, which was erected in 1862, a year after Prince Albert's death, is the largest cairn on the Balmoral estate and one of 11 put up by Queen Victoria, who bought the royal residence in 1852.

It has the inscription: "To the beloved memory of Albert, the great and good Prince Consort, erected by his broken-hearted window Victoria, 21st August 1862."

Queen Victoria married Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha in 1840 and they were together until his death, leaving nine children.

Among other cairns on the estate are commemorations of the Queen's children's marriages and one marking the purchase of the nearby Ballochbuie Forest.

Balmoral warned tourists to "take care" while visiting Prince Albert's Pyramid in the coming months, as the restoration continues.

The estate also apologised for any inconvenience that the "essential repair work" might create.